25 are being made, and one of them could be yours 27-Feb-13

Three of the most iconic names and brands in the guitar world have joined forces to launch a very appetizing competition.

Seymour Duncan, Floyd Rose and Buddy Blaze have announced the Buddy Blaze - Vivian Campbell 25th Anniversary Shredder VC-II / LS modeled after the historic guitar used by Campbell in his Whitesnake days.

The good news - you could win one of these limited run guitars. Out of 25 being made, one is being offered up as a competition prize.

Back in 1987, Buddy Blaze and Vivian Campbell designed the Buddy Blaze Shredder, the guitar that would ultimately become known as the Kramer Nightswan.

With a scale length of 24 5/8", floating Floyd Rose tremolo and a 'bridge/middle' pickup configuration (a Seymour Duncan Full Shred and a JB, respectively), the Shredder was a fresh take on the 'superstrat' concept, which had dominated guitar design throughout the 1980s.

When Blaze was drafted by Kramer, Campbell soon followed him. The 'Lightning Storm' Nightswan prototype was born, featuring the first appearance of the Full Shred as well as a similar finish to Dimebag Darrell's Dean From Hell, another famous guitar Buddy is intrinsically linked to.

"I was quite drawn to the idea of working one-on-one with a guy who simply wanted to build guitars, as opposed to a bigger company that was more concerned with marketing," Campbell says.

"I liked the idea of a short scale guitar. I had been playing Charvel/Jackson for a year or two before that, and whilst I certainly appreciated those instruments, there were certain features that were unnatural to me - one of which was the wide, flat and unfinished fretboard.

"Another was their 25 1/2 inch scale; although I have big hands, I liked the idea of a smaller instrument with a smaller neck as I tend to use my left hand thumb over the top of the neck when playing bar chords and that was difficult to do with larger, wider necks."

To celebrate 25 years since the 'Lightning Storm' prototype was created, Buddy and Vivian have teamed up to offer the Buddy Blaze Vivian Campbell 25th Anniversary Shredder VC-II / LS.

Only 25 will be made, each with a unique lightning storm graphic hand-painted by Buddy. They'll have an Original Floyd Rose tremolo with R1 nut (Titanium Floyd optional), the same Full Shred/JB pickup combination (with each Full Shred signed by Seymour W. Duncan), a Honduras Mahogany body, figured maple neck with 16" radius ebony fretboard, 24 5/8" scale length, Buddy Blaze-designed CTS pot, and a certificate of authenticity signed by Buddy and Vivian.